Lemon-squeezer.



PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905. E. D. MIDDLEKAUFF.

LEMON SQUEBZER. APPLICATION FILED MAB 3 1905 3 BHEBTS-SHEET 1.

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No.796,341- PATENTED AUG.'1,1905.

" E. n. MIDDLEKAUFF.

LEMON SQUEEZER,

APPLICATION TILED MAR. 3, 1905.

8 SHEETS-$11331 24 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH D. MIDDLEKAUFF, OF PLAINFIELD, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY-MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO IRONA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LEMON-SQUEEZER.

To all whom it may concern:

- tical sectional view, the compressing-plunger being in its lower position; Fig. 3, asectional view on the line III III of Fig. 2, the compressing-plunger and the ejector being raised to vertical position; Fig. 4, a plan view of the cup for holding the juice; Fig. 5, an elevation of the device arranged as shown in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in said figure, and Fig. 6 a detail view showing the means for temporarily locking the ejector to the plunger This invention relates to improvements in that class of lemon-squeezers in which a whole lemon is dropped into the lemon-cup and is forced down onto a knife by the compressingplunger, and thereby cut and squeezed, the juice running through the lemon-cup into a suitable receptacle.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide ejector means operated by the compressing plunger to lift the squeezed lemon from the lemon-cup and discharge it when the compression-plunger is raised.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby this ejector is automatically released from the compressing-plunger and returned to the lemon-cup in position to receive another lemon.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the receptacle for the lemon-juice, which is provided at its upper end with a horizontal annular flange 2, by which it is retained in a supporting-ring 3. This supporting-ring is formed with a vertical supportingvarm 4, which is provided at its upperend with a rigid clamping-jaw 5 and with a clamping-screw 6, by means of which it may be detachably connected to a table or other suitable support. This ring is also provided with an arm 7 on one side and with a pair of lugs Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Marcl13.1 9()5- Serial No. 248,285.

" Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

8 on the opposite side thereof. Across thelower end of the juice-receptacle is a strainer 9, and at the bottom thereof is a drainingfaucet 10, through which the juice may be drawn as desired. I

Removably contained within the juice-receptacle is a perforated lemon-receiving cup 11, said cup being formed with a flange at Its upper end adapted to rest on the top of the juice-receptacle. In the bottom of this lemoncup is mounted a knife 13, which serves to cut the lemon when the lemon is forced down by the compressing-plunger.

Secured to the rear side of the lemon-cup is a plate 14, at the rear end of which is mounted a horizontal pivot-rod 15. On the ends of this rod is mounted the lemon-ejector 16. This ejector is formed with the two side arms 17, by which it is pivoted on therod 15, and the curved ejector part 18, which fits within the lemon-cup, and the two forwardextending ejector-arms 19, which lie on each side of the knife, as shown clearly in Fig. 1 One of the side arms 17 is l of the drawings. extended forward horizontally beyond the ejector part 18 and rests on the top of the lemon-cup. This forward extension of the side arm is formed with a depending flange 20 on the inner edge thereof and within the lemon-cup.

Pivotally mounted on the rearward-extending lugs 8 is the compressing-plunger 21,

which is formed with the recesses 22 to receive the knife when said plunger is forced down into the lemon-cup. Connected to one side of the plunger is an arm 23, which is provided with the beveled lug 24, said lug being in such a position that when the plunger is forced down into the lemon-cup the beveled lug will slide down below the flange 20 and engage thereunder, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when the plunger is lifted the ejector will be raised and turned rearward on the pivot-bolt, as shown in Fig. 3.

Surrounding the pivot-bolt is a spring 25, one of whose ends bears against the plate 14,

its other end bearing against the ejector and point of the plunger is in the rear of the pivotal point of the ejector, and the arm 28 of the ejector is comparatively short, so that when the plunger has been lifted and moved rearward a sufficient distance the lug 24 of the liftlng-arm 23 will slip off the end of the arm of the ejector and the spring 25 will return the ejector to the lemon-cup. The arm 23 is of such length that the ejector will be brought to its vertical position before it is released, so that the lemon-skin lifted by it will be ejected and dropped to the rear of the lemon-cup.

To prevent the rotation of the lemon-cu p and the juice-receptacle in the supporting-ring, said cup and receptacle are provided with notches to fit a vertical rib 26, formed on the supporting-arm.

A stop 27 is provided to limit the rearward movement of the compressing-plunger. This plunger is provided with a handle part 28, which corresponds with the handle part formed on the supporting-ring, said handle parts being in the usual form and for the purpose of enabling the operator to exert a considerable pressure on the plunger. At the top of the plunger a shield 29 is secured, said shield serving to prevent lemon-juice squirting upward during the pressing operation. A rotatable fastening-pin 30 is secured in the supporting-ring and is provided with a head 31, which is adapted to temporarily retain the lemon-cup and j nice-receptacle in the supporting-ring.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that whole lemons may be dropped in the lemon-cup and by one movement of the compressing plunger they may be cut and squeezed, and then by a single lifting movement of the plunger the squeezed lemon will be raised from the lemon-cup and deposited at the rear thereof, and the ejector will be instantly and automatically returned to its normal position and the device he in position for the reception of another lemon. The screen across the juicereceptacle just below the lemon-cup will prevent seeds and particles of skin or pulp which may be forced through the lemon-cup from passing down into the draining-faucet.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A lemon-squeezer comprising a supporting-ring. a juice-receptacle removably mounted in said ring, a lemon-receiving cup removably supported within the juice-receptacle and provided at its lower end with a lemon-cutting knife, a pivoted ejector mounted at the rear of said lemon-cup and normally lying within said cup, a spring to normally hold said ejectorin the cup, a compressing-plunger pivoted on the supporting-ring at the rear of the lemon-cup, and means carried by said compressing-plunger to automatically engage the ejector when said plunger is in its compressing position, and means whereby the ejector is released from said plunger when it has been raised sufliciently to discharge the squeezed lemon at the rear of the lemon-cup.

2. A lemon-squeezer comprising a supporting-ring provided with a clamp and a handle part, a juice-receptacle removably supported therein, a perforated lemon-cup removably supported in the juice-receptacle and provided with a knife at its lower end, a rearward-extending supporting-plate secured to the top of said lemon-cup, an ejector pivotally supported by said plate and normally lying within the lemon-cup, a spring to hold said ejector in said cup, a compressing-plunger carried by the supporting-ring at the rear of the ejector, and a device carried by the compressing-pl unger for automatically engaging the ejector when the plunger is in its pressing position, said device autonmtically releasing the ejector when it has been raised sufficiently to discharge the squeezed lemon at the rear of the lemon-cup.

3. A lemon-squeezer comprising a support provided with a handle part, a juice-receptacle carried thereby, a perforated lemon-cup mounted in the top of the juice-receptacle, an ejector pivoted at the rear of the lemon-cup and adapted to lie within said cup, a spring for yieldingly holding said ejector in the cup, a forward-extending horizontal arm formed at the side of said ejector and adapted to lie on the top of the lemon-cup, a compressingplunger pivoted to the support at the rear of the lemon-cup, and a device carried by said plunger and adapted to engage the arm of the ejector when the plunger is in its pressing position and adapted to slide 011' the free end of said arm when the ejector has been raised sufiiciently to discharge the squeezed lemon at the rear of the lemon-cup.

4. A lemon-squeezer comprising a support, a juice-receptacle, a perforated lemon-receiving cup, an ejector pivoted at the rear of said cup and adapted to normally lie within the cup, a spring for holding said ejector yieldingly in the cup, a compressing-plunger pivotally supported at a point in the rear of the pivot of the ejector, a forward-extemling arm formed on the ejector, a device carried by the compressing-plunger and adapted to engage said arm when the plunger is in its pressing position, said device being adapted to release said arm by sliding off the free end thereof when the ejector is raised sufiiciently to discharge the lemon at the rear of the lemon-cup.

5. A lemon-squeezer comprising a lemoncup, a pivoted compressing-plunger, an ejector adapted to normally fit within the lemon-cup and pivoted on the outer side thereof, a springarin carried by the eon'ipressing-plunger, a catch on said arm adapted to engage the edge of the ejector when the compressing-plunger is forced in to the lemon-cup, and means whereby the ejector will be released from the catch of said arm when the compressing-plunger has been lifted to a predetermined distance, and means for returning the ejector into the lemon-cup when it is released from the compressing-plunger.

6. A lemonsqueezer comprising a detach; able lemon-receiving cup,an ejector pivoted on said cup and adapted to lie therein, a spring for yieldingly maintaining said ejector within the cup, a compressing-plunger, and means carried by said'plunger for engaging the ejector and lifting it from the lemon-cup, and means whereby said ejector will be released from the compressingplunger when said plunger has reached a predetermined point.

7. A lemon-squeezer comprising a lemoncup, an ejector pivoted thereon, means for yieldingly holding said ejector within the cup, a horizontal arm carried by said ejector, a pivoted compressingplunger, -means carried by said compressing-plunger and adapted to engage the horizontal arm of the ejector when the compressing-plunger is within the cup and to be released from said arm when the compressing-plunger has been raised a predetermined distance.

8. A lemon-squeezer comprising asupporting-ring, a juice-receptacle supported therein and provided With a strainerat a point above its lower end, a lemon-cup supported within the juice-receptacle and provided with a lemoncutting knife, a pivoted ejector mounted on said cup, a spring for normally holding said ejector within the cup, a pivoted compressing-plunger, an arm on said plunger adapted to engage the ejector when said plunger is within the cup and means whereby the ejector will be released when said plunger is lifted a predetermined distance.

9. A lemon-squeezer comprising a support, a juice-receptacle, a perforated lemon-receiving cup, an ejector pivotedat the rear of said cup and adapted to normally lie withinthe cup, a spring for holding said ejector yieldingly in the cup, a compressing-plunger pivotally supported at a point in the rear of the pivot of the ejector, a forward-extending arm formed on the ejector, a device carried by the compressing-plunger and adapted to engage said arm when the plunger is in its pressing position, said device being adapted to release said arm when the ejector is raised sufficiently to discharge the lemon at the rear of the lemoncup.

Signed at New York this 2d day of March, 1905.

ELLSWORTH D. MIDDLEKAUFF.

Witnesses:

W. H. RUBY, WM. R. DAVIS. 

